Kukla's Korner Hockey

In a sign that the Blues aren’t expecting to reach a contract extension with forward T.J. Oshie before Friday’s arbitration case, general manager Doug Armstrong is headed to Toronto on Tuesday three days in advance of the hearing.

“We’re going to Toronto to work with our counsel on preparing for the case,” Armstrong said Monday….

The Blues and Oshie’s agent, Matt Oates, could still reach a resolution before Friday’s hearing, but are now down to just three days of potential negotiations before an arbitrator hears the case.

In a text message to the Post-Dispatch on Monday, Oates indicated that he was gearing up for Friday’s hearing but added that he was “open and looking to continue talking.”

Armstrong said Monday that the two sides have discussed a multi-year extension, ranging from four to six years. “But we just couldn’t find a compensation level that we were comfortable with and obviously he was comfortable with,” Armstrong said.

Comments

I think it’s time for a change of scenery for Oshie. St. Louis has more than enough ammo to permanently sour the relationship if they reach the hearing. He’s had plenty of issues with coaches and management. He was starting to live up to some of his potential after Hitch came in, so I’m sure that they could find a GM willing to take a chance on him.